Game apparatus



B. SANDO.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATON FILED AUG.25, 1918.

Patented July 19, 1921..

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GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.26 1918.

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B. SANDO.

` GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED Auf-1.26, 1918.

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INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO BRIAN T. SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLS, INDIANA, A COREORATIUN.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1921.

Application led August 26, 1918 Serial No. 251,451.

To aZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that 1, BiziAN'r SANDO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a game appa ratus comprising an alley or runway for the rolling of balls thereon and a ball receiving and separating means by which the balls are directed into various channels for producing scores.

One of the objects of the invention consist-s in the provision of a game apparatus for promoting healthful physical exercise and mental alertness, and which will be as far as practicable automatic in its operation.v thereby disturbing the players as little as possible from pursuing the finer points of the game. l

The above objects, and such others as will appear from a reading of the following specification and claims, are attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved game apparatus in operation. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional view of the discharge end of the runway and ball gatherer and separator. Fig. 3 is an end view of the hopper, on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view of the hopper, on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5 5 in Fig. 6. Fig.'6 is a vertical sectional view, on the line 6 6 in Fig. 5.. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on the line 7 7 in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view, on the line 8 8 in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the ball gatherer and separator, showing the construction thereof, with the remaining parts omitted. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of a part of the actuatonmechanism' for operating the score tabulating mechanism. Fig. 11 is a top or plan view of the score tabulating mechanism, on an enlarged scale, with the remaining parts of the apparatus (omitted. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary detail view of the score tabulating mechanism showing the score indicating bladesintheir retracted normal position. Figa 18 is a-rear view of the score tabulating mechanism. Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view through the score tabulating mechanism, on the lines 11.1 14 in Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings, 15 represents the runway upon which balls 16 are rolled,

and this runway terminates in a semi-circularly formed deiiector 17 for guiding the balls upwardly and away from the runway 15 and into a ball gatherer and separator 18, the latter being supported above runway 15 and between uprights 19 of the frame of the apparatus. ln case of a portable apparatus runway 15 may be provided with the supporting legs 20. The player standing at the delivery end of runway 15, as shown in Fig.

1,V rolls the balls 16 along the surface of runway 15 with suflicient velocity to cause them to follow the circular formation of deflector 17 and discharge intoY the mou-th of the ball gatherer and separator 18. The ball gatherer and separator comprises a rectangularly shaped box whichis-l arranged transversely of runway 15 and is provided with an inlet ball receiving opening 28 through which the balls pass when discharged from the end of deflector 17. Ball gatherer and separator 18 is divided approximately midway of its height by an inclined division wall 25. About two-thirds of the forward portion of division wall 25 and adjacent to the inlet opening 23 is cut away to form a ball inlet opening 26 which communicates with an inclined fioor 27 for directing the balls coming through opening 26 to one end of the separator 18 and out through a discharge opening 28 into a vertically disposed passageway 29 in a hopper 30. Arranged centrally and within the rear half of inclined floor 25 is a ball receiving opening' 32 of much smaller dimensions than opening 26, and the balls passing through opening 32 pass along an inclined licor 33 and are discharged through an opening 84 into a vertically disposed passageway `35 in hopper 30. The separation of the balls discharged from deflector 17 is brought about through the arrangement of openings 26 and 82 and the remaining surface area of inclined floor 25. Thus, if a ball 16 is discharged from deflector 17 upon the surface of inclined iioor 25 and beyond the ends of opening 26 they roll by gravity into a receiving trough 38, having an inclined floor 39 to eect the discharge of the balls into a vertically disvariation in the travel balls are returned to l are or different lengths,

posed ball passageway 40 which directs the balls into return-tube 41 through which the the players end of the alley.l A ball passing along the course heretofore described is a blank and will add Vnothing tothe linal score of the player, and

a ball taking the above structural arrangeso that considerable required to so roll the possibility of course is increased by ment of the apparatus, skill and proficiency is each ball along runway `15 as to add to the percentage of players score.v It theplayer has acquired sufficient skill to roll theballs near the center of the alley he may be able to effect their discharge into the opening 26 which, as the ball passes downwardly throughpassageway 29will actuate certain mechanism for operating thescoring device and thereby increase the percentage ot his ultimate score. lfthe player is able to so roll the balls as to maintain their llight along the longitudinal center of runway 15, the balls may be discharged into the smaller opening 32 so that when ,passing down- Vwardly through passageway 35 will actuate certain mechanism for operating the scoring mechanism and thereby still further in-V crease the percentagey ot' his ultimate score. It will be readilyobserved that the differences in areas ybetween the openings 32 and 26, and the remaining surface area of inclined floor 25 `are so disproportionate as to render Vit extremely difficult and requiring much practice and skill to direct the balls into the central opening 32.

VIn order to eliminatesounds arising from balls coming into contact with the rear wall ot' ball gatherer and separator 13 lprovide certain means Jfor miiiiling the sounds which d filled bags V45y consists generally l of san which are suitably arranged to receive the l Vimpact of the balls as they are discharged from deliector 17 into separator 18. Y

It has heretofore been stated that when the balls are discharged Jrom the inclined floors 27 and 33 the ballspass downwardly through vertically disposed passageways 29 and 35 respectively, they actuate certain means for operating the score tabulating mechanism, anism will now be described.

The means for Aactuating the score tabulating mechanism comprise a pair of U- shapedrarms ancv 51 which have a common bearing upon Va shaft. 52 larranged in hopper 30. The arms 50 and 51 asshown thereby causing the iireeV end of, arm 50. to-inove through a greater Varc of travel to afford free passage of a ball'16 through passageway 29'than is necessary for-.arm 51 to ailord free passage otaV ball through passageway 35, and this of arms 50 and 51 is important in the operationof the score tabulating device as will hereinafter more ,Zontally disposed plate 74 connected blade 57 to position, Y. lines in Figs;

and that inv their iiight y L 150 and soY on throughout the series.

and this mech-V lclence, when plate .74 is moved aV distance to 11 Vascross-arm 53 is depressed it pulls downwardly on a connecting rod 55 which operates a lever 56 secured to an oscillating shaft 7 0 mounted between the side members 71 of the score tabulating housing. .Shaft car- 75 ries a pivoted pawl 7 2 whichV engages' a toothed rack-bar .7 3 arranged on a horihaving longitudinal movement between side members 71 of the score tabulating housing. A rockshaft 75 is mounted in side members 7l and carries a series of loosely mounted indicator blades 57 whichA contain the numerals Jfor keeping the score.V Each lindicator blade 57 is provided on its inner and lower edge vr85 with an integral Jfoot 57 l and all of the feet stand in the same horizontal plane when the blades 57 occupy normal vertical position, as shown in Fig. 14. A `definite and uniform amount is added to the length of each successive foot 57a tronithe back to the front oi the series of blades 57, and the added length to each foot 57 a coincides to the distance between the teeth' on rack-bar 73. lndicatorblades 57 are held in normal ver- 95 tical position by means ot the movable plate 7 4 and .may be released singly or in pairs by imparting the desired amount of longitudinal movement to plate 74. Thus, when a ball is discharged into passageway 35short im) llever 51is depressed, and through cross-arm vthrough themedium of )awl 72, thereby re? feet 5 a and allowing the drop into a'horizontal as shown by means of the dotted 1.3v and 14. The successive n blades 57 in Athe series herein shown are proil( vided with certain numerals as, for Vinstance, the lirst blade leasing one of the Y carries the numeral 507; the next blade 9100, Aand the next tree the first'l blade 57 the 5numeral 50 will be displayed. Lever 50 is depressed twice the distance traveled by lever 5.1 by reason oi itsVv greater length and incident increasein its range of, travel to `ailoi'drifree passage 12 ot a ballpl throughpassageway 29.. This additional movement of .lever 50 is suflicient to cause plate 74 to move adistance equal to two teeth A03E 'rack-bar'7 3 Vwhich is suiiicient movement Vto release two of the 11 Vfeet 57a andallowing a corresponding number ot blades 57 to drop, 'thereby displaying an l increase of. 10() .pointsin` the score. H As soon as the balls aretree of either ofthe levers 50 and 51 the latter are vreturned to 1 insane? normal through the medium of springs 58 in Fig. 2. Plate 74 is moved longitudinally away from the feet 57a in opposition to a spring 76, and to prevent said spring from prematurely retracting said plate 74 when pawl 72 moves backward, I provide a stopdog 77 which is mounted on a rock-shaft 78 which will be hereinafter described. On each backward stroke pawl 72 is disengaged and held free of rack-bar 73 until it again moves forward, thereby allowing plate 74 to move to normal at the time the resetting mechanism of the score tabulator is actuated for disengaging stop-dog 77 from rackbar 73. Pawl 72 on its rearward stroke is disengaged from rack-bar 73fby means of a pin 79 contacting the inclined face 80 of stationary block 8l secured to the inner wall of one of the side members 7l of the score tabulating housing. A spring 83 serves to hold pawl 72 in engagement with rack-bar 73 when the pawl is free of stationary block 81. As heretofore stated, there is greater liability on part of the player to roll the balls so that they will be discharged from inclined floor 25 into trough 39 and out of range of either 4of the openings 26 or 32 so that the balls will pass downwardly through the passageway 40 without adding anything to the score of the player. At the end of a players turn at play all of the fallen score tabulating blades 57 may be simultaneously raised into their normal vertical position through the medium of a hand-lever 60 located near the players end of the alley; a connecting rod 61; bell-crank 62; upright connecting rod 63; lever 64: rocker-shaft 65; lever 66 and the U-shaped lifting arms 67. U-shaped lifting arms 67 are mounted on the shaft and when indicator blades 57 drop into horizontal position their rear edges rest against a cross-bar 68 which connects the lifting arms 67 together, and when arms 67 are oscillated on shaft 75 from the players end of the alley, cross-bar 68 will lift fallen blades 57 into normal vertical position. When the indicator blades 57 reach normal position they are locked bymeans of the movable plate 74 resting upon the upper edges of feet 57a. As plate 74 is held, during its intermittent progressive movement in freeing blades 57, in extended position through the medium of stop-dog 77 the latter must first be disengaged from rack-bar 73 before movable plate 74 is free to return to normal position under the influence of spring 76. Stop-dog 77 is disengaged from rack-bar 73 by means of a connecting link 85 having an eccentric connection with one of the blade lifting arms 67. When arms 67 have moved bladnes 57 into normal vertical position, during which movement dog 77 is disengaged from rackbar 73 through the medium of connecting link 85, and plate 74 moves to its normal position and locks blades 57 dog 77 will immediately rengage rack-bar 73 when lifting arms 67 start to descend, by reason of the freedom of movement afforded said dog through the slotted connection formed by the slot 86 in the end of connecting link 85. In case the game is operated for proiit, the movement of hand-lever 60 may be controlled by suitable coin actuated mechanism located in housing 69 near the players7 end of the alley.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what l desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A game apparatus of the character described comprising a runway upon which balls are rolled, a ball receiver and separator communicating with the discharge end of sald runway, a floor for dividing said separator into an upper and lower compartment andhaving a plurality of ball inlet openings, a series of parallel walls for dividing said lower compartment into ball conveying passageways communicating with said ball inlet openings, and a hopper for receiving the balls discharged from the several passageways in the separator and discharging them through a single opening.

2. A game apparatus of the character described comprising a runway uponV which balls are rolled, a ball receiver and separator communicating with the discharge end of said runway, an` inclined floor for dividing said ball separator into an upper and a lower compartment, said floor having a plurality of ball inlet openings, means for conveying the balls discharged from the surface of said inclined oor to one side of the runway, and a plurality of parallel walls for dividing the lower compartment of the separator into longitudinal ball conveying passageways having communication with the ball inlet openings in the inclined oor, the floors in said conveying passageways being inclined for discharging the balls on one side of the runway by gravity.

ln witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 22nd day of August, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and eighteen.

BRIANT SANDO. [1.. s.] 

